About us

HENSOLDT - Innovations for a safer world

HENSOLDT helps to avert threats to armed forces and society and to protect our customers from them. We are a German champion in the defence industry with a leading market position in Europe and a global reach.

Our companies' success is based on the work of our highly skilled employees that are fascinated by high-end technology and driven by the desire to meet evolving customer needs. In line with the tradition of our predecessors, we translate technological innovations into smart electronic solutions, which support defence and security organisations in their mission to make the world a safer place.

Our employees are our most valuable asset and, therefore, our top priority.

Our Company

HENSOLDT is a pioneer of technology and innovation for defence and security electronics. Based in Taufkirchen near Munich, our company is a German Champion with strategic leadership positions in the field of sensor solutions for defence and security applications. As a technology leader, HENSOLDT also continuously expands its Cyber portfolio and develops new products to combat a wide range of threats based on innovative approaches to data management, robotics and cybersecurity.

With more than 6,500 employees, HENSOLDT achieved a turnover of 1.7 billion euros in 2022.

Our Mission

We exist to pioneer technologies and human potential that promote the protection of all kind of species worldwide. Our activities shall serve the higher purpose of securing the freedom and future of our planet, our nature, and our lives.

We strive to become Europe’s leading, platform-independent provider of defence and security sensor solutions with global reach.

Thomas Müller

CEO HENSOLDT

Our Values

At the heart of our company culture are the values we share, giving the success of our company a common, solid basis. These values – laid out already in our predecessor companies and developed further - are fundamental to all our doing and have a profound impact on all other areas of our business, like a house that cannot rest safely without reliable foundations.  

In this sense, the basis of everything is the value of Collaboration going together with team spirit and respect, openness, transparency and trust, i.e. overcoming organisational lines and taking on challenges as one team. Based on this foundation HENSOLDT rests on three pillars: Excellence, Ownership and Innovation. Bearing the roof of the entire building is Entrepreneurship.
 

Entrepreneurship

One word summarizes what we all are committed to: To act on behalf of our company, take decisions, continuously aspire for excellence and accept being held responsible – in the best interest of our customers!

Ownership

Ownership means we keep our world safe, we take responsibility for our decisions and actions and we are reliable towards our colleagues and our customers.

Excellence

Excellence is literally the essence of our success, but only if it is paired with efficiency, agility and simplicity. Excellence is no value in itself but only insofar as it serves customer value.

Innovation

Innovation is a permanent process, not so much a status, requiring curiosity, creativity and passion as well as courage to think outside of the box and even to risk failure. 

Areas of activity

HENSOLDT is a leading supplier for platform independent offerings deployed across the domains air, sea, land and security for armed and security forces worldwide. As a German champion and the largest European pure-play defence and security electronics house, we contribute significantly to the protection of soldiers and the operational capability of the German Bundeswehr and the wider NATO.

HENSOLDT’s portfolio includes various sensor technologies, which, when combined, allow detection capabilities to be improved substantially. Our main areas of activity include the protection of borders and critical infrastructures, air defence, mission management and platform self-protection, force protection, signal intelligence and data links, as well as night vision devices, laser rangefinders and optronic targeting equipment. In addition, our portfolio also comprises of mission avionics such as avionics computers, mission planning systems and autopilots.

With our wide product range, we cover all types of applications in air, sea, land and security missions and enable our customers to maintain superiority when it comes to monitoring the electromagnetic spectrum. Our solutions are deployed on various platforms, including helicopters, aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, ships and submarines, armoured vehicles as well as satellites.

HENSOLDT's Management Board

Thomas Müller

CEO of HENSOLDT

Oliver Dörre

Designated CEO

Celia Pelaz

Chief Strategy Officer

Christian Ladurner

Chief Financial Officer

Dr. Lars Immisch

Chief HR Officer

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Before taking over the management of HENSOLDT, Thomas Müller was the CEO of Airbus DS Electronics and Border Security GmbH after having previously managed the Electronics unit in the Airbus Defence and Space Division.

From January 2013 until the time when he assumed this position, he had been the Head of Astrium Satellites Products, following his time as the CFO and an Executive Committee member at Astrium. Prior to these positions, he had served as the CFO of EADS Systems & Defence Electronics. Before this, he had held various management functions at DASA Defence and Civil Systems, DASA Missiles and Air Defence Systems and Deutsche Aerospace AG.

Thomas Müller (born in Munich in 1958) began his career in 1978 in the German Armed Forces, which he left as a captain in 1991. He graduated from the University of the German Armed Forces with a degree in Economics and Business Administration.

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The designated Chairman of the Management Board Oliver Dörre, took up his position on the Management Board of HENSOLDT AG in January 2024 and will take over management responsibility from Thomas Müller on 1 April 2024.

Oliver Dörre holds a degree in computer science and has been CEO and Chairman of the Management Board of Thales Germany since 1 January 2021, where he previously worked as VP Sales & Marketing/Key Account Executive of the sales team from the end of 2016 to 2020. Before joining Thales in 2015, he worked at Frequentis AG for around five years, where he held various management positions. As Head of the Defence business unit, he was responsible for international military sales, project and product management as well as development in the Defence sector.

From 1988 to 2010, Dörre worked as a general staff officer in the German Air Force, most recently as a policy officer and deputy head of division with the rank of lieutenant colonel i.G. in the planning department of the Ministry of Defence.

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Celia Pelaz was appointed to HENSOLDT´s Management Board in July 2021. Already in 2017, she took over the position as Head of Spectrum Dominance and Airborne Solutions . Prior, she was the Head of Strategic Business Development at HENSOLDT following her position as Head of Transformation and Corporate Functions at Airbus Defence and Space Electronics, which she was appointed to in July 2014. Before this, she worked as Head of Portfolio Bid Management for Mission Systems (UAVs and mission critical avionics).

During her 14 years of service at Airbus, Pelaz also lived in Brazil where she worked as Programme Manager for the "PROAMATEC" security programme, making a major contribution to setting up the company in Brazil. Prior to her assignment abroad, she worked in several positions as project, bid and sales manager in the field of defence electronics.

Celia Pelaz (born in Durango/Spain in 1978) holds a Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering from the University College of Bilbao Chamber of Commerce.

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Christian Ladurner has been a member of the Management Board of HENSOLDT AG since July 2022, where he serves as CFO.

Mr. Ladurner has held various commercial positions at HENSOLDT since 2015, most recently as Head of Group Controlling & Investor Relations and Head of the Taufkirchen site. From 2010 to 2015, Mr. Ladurner worked in various positions at Airbus Defence and Space, including supply chain and project controlling. Prior to that, Mr. Ladurner worked at Volkswagen AG, among others.

Christian Ladurner (born in Ingolstadt in 1977) holds a degree in business administration from the University of the German Armed Forces in Munich and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Henley Business School.

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Dr. Lars Immisch is a member of the Management Board of HENSOLDT AG and has been the company´s CHRO since October 2022. Dr. Immisch has been Executive Vice-President Human Resources at Airbus Defence &Space GmbH since January 2014.

Previously, he held various leading positions at Airbus and its predecessor companies. After studying law at the Friedrich Schiller University in Jena and working as a research assistant at the Friedrich Schiller University in Jena, he began his professional career in 1999 at Airbus (DASA/EADS) as Manager Human Resources.

Dr. Immisch is a fully qualified lawyer and holds a doctorate in law from the Friedrich-Schiller University in Jena.

HENSOLDT's Executive Committee - Divison Heads & Central Functions

Peter Schlote

Head of Radar and Naval Solutions

Dietmar Thelen

Head of Spectrum Dominance and Airborne Solutions

Tanya Altmann

Head of Optronics and Land Solutions

Jérôme Giraud

Head of Services and Aerospace Solutions

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Peter Schlote took over the Radar and Naval Solutions Division at HENSOLDT in 2022. Prior, he was the Chief Operating Officer at HENSOLDT. Between 2009 and 2015, Peter Schlote was the CEO of Tesat-Spacecom GmbH & Co. KG, a global market leader for satellite payload equipment.

Previously he had managed the Avionics product line at EADS Defence and Security and served as a member of the Board of Directors at EuroMIDS in Paris. Schlote was part of the Merger Integration Team in the EADS Headquarters. He joined the Airbus Group in 1991 as a development manager at Siemens Defence Electronics.

Peter Schlote (born in Neunkirchen/Saar in 1967) graduated from the University of Applied Sciences of Saarbrücken as an electrical engineer. Furthermore, he holds a Master's degree from the National Defense University in Washington DC and a degree from the Defense Acquisition University of the United States.

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Dietmar Thelen has been Head of Spectrum Dominance and Airborne Solutions since January 2024.

In his previous position, he was VP Head of Electronic Warfare in the Military Air Systems division of Airbus Defence and Space and IPT Lead for the Eurofighter – Electronic Combat (EF EK) project. Prior to that, Dietmar Thelen was a member of the Management Board of MBDA Germany and, since 2018, also Managing Director of TLVS GmbH.

Prior to that, he was responsible for cyber security on the Management Board of RUAG Defence in Bern. As Deputy General Manager of the AGS Management Agency, Thelen was responsible for the procurement and commissioning of NATO's Alliance Ground Surveillance multi-billion-euro programme, after holding management positions in various business areas of the then EADS Defence and Security and European Satellite Navigation Industries SpA. A further focus of his career was in the field of IT security, where he worked in various positions at EADS and the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI).

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Tanya Altmann has been the Head of Optronics and Land Solutions Division and the Managing Director of HENSOLDT Optronics GmbH since April 2023.  

Previously, she was CEO of Skoda Transportation Deutschland GmbH. As President for the global bus division, she was largely responsible for the introduction of buses with alternative, but primarily hydrogen and electric drives. At the Turkish sister company TEMSA (OEM in the bus and miditruck sector), Altmann was a board member. Before joining Skoda, she was CEO for the Central, East European, Russian + CIS Region (CEER) at GE Power Conversion in Berlin. The company offers product and system solutions in almost all industrial sectors, such as the steel, mining, automotive and power industries.  

In the role of senior project manager, Altmann was employed by train manufacturer Alstom. One of her greatest successes there was the acquisition and project management of an electric multiple unit order, including service, worth approx. 275 million euros on behalf of the Central Saxony Transport Association (Zweckverband Mittelsachsen). 

Altmann's first job was with Airbus Military during the development of the A400M. In addition to project management for the "wing covers" area, Altmann was also finance controller and weight manager.  

Tanya Altmann (born 1977 in Aalen) graduated in mechanical and aerospace engineering from the Technical University of Braunschweig (Carolo-Wilhelmina). 

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Jérôme Giraud is a French Engineer with a Master from Essec business School. He had various management functions at Aerospatiale/ EADS/ Airbus and at SFR, a leading french mobile Operator. After managing a digital marketing agency, he joined Nexeya in 2014 to became General Manager of the french electronic group specialized in Defense and Aerospace activities.

Following the takeover by HENSOLDT, he took the Presidence/ CEO position of HENSOLDT activities in France. In 2022 he took over the position as Head of the newly founded Services and Aeropsace Solutions divison.

Alexander Dahm

Chief Supply Chain Officer

Stefan Hess

Head of Governmental Business Development and Political Affairs

Russell Gould

Head of International Business Development

Dr. Katja Stadelmann

General Counsel

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Alexander Dahm is a member of the executive committee and took over the Role of Chief Supply Chain Officer in 2022. Prior he was leading the HENSOLDT Improvement and Transformation Program.

Between 1991 and 2019 Alexander Dahm hold various leading positions in Airbus and its predecessor companies in Program, Engineering, Production Management for Ariane 5 as well as Aircrafts and Components.

Alexander Dahm (born in Hamburg in 1965) graduated as Dipl.-Ing. of Space and Aviation Engineering at the Technical University of Braunschweig.

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Stefan Hess, born in 1968, studied Political Science and Economics at the Helmut Schmidt University of the Federal Armed Forces in Hamburg. He previously completed training as an army officer, gained experience in out-of-area operations and, after serving in the troops, was most recently a full-time youth officer. He went to Berlin and worked in various functions for industry and trade associations in the field of industrial policy, most recently as Head of department for Defense and Space at the BDLI.

In 2016, Stefan Hess changed to HENSOLDT and built up the Public Affairs department in Berlin, Brussels and Paris. In January 2021, he took over the area of ​​Business Development and Political Affairs Germany & European Homecountries.

Stefan Hess is a member of the Presidium of the German Air Force Association and the Defense Business Unit of the European industry association ASD.

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From 2007 until September 2017, Russell Gould was CEO of Kelvin Hughes Ltd, having led the Company through its management buyout from Smiths Group PLC. Prior to this, Gould worked for BAE systems in Italy and Oman, heading up the Project Engineering Management function. He is also Chairman of the UK maritime Trade Association, SMI, and sits on the Government / Industry Trade body, Maritime UK

Russell Gould (Born in Watford, UK in 1963) holds a First Class BSc degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Bath University, is a Chartered Engineer, and is a Member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (MIET)

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Dr. Katja Stadelmann has joined HENSOLDT with effect of 1st September 2023, taking over the position as General Counsel of HENSOLDT Group.

Katja has long term experience in all matters of inhouse legal departments. She has worked in different areas of well-known company Siemens and various Siemens subsidiaries and has acquired significant expertise in diverse fields of law, such as project business, M&A and antitrust. She has assumed various leadership roles on regional and global level.

Since 2018 she has also been serving as the Group Data Protection Officer/ Head of Data Privacy of Siemens Healthineers AG building up the global Data Privacy Team. 

Our Business

We, the HENSOLDT Group, offer our customers mission critical sensor systems for protection, for surveillance and for situational awareness.

As innovation is intrinsic to our DNA we continously develop innovative, integrated and customer-specific solutions in the segments Radar, IFF & COMMS, Spectrum Dominance and Airborne Solutions, Optronics and Customer Services. We consistently drive innovations forward and invest significantly in research and development. This is complemented by our in-house innovation-hub and start-up incubator HENSOLDT Ventures.

Company Organisation

Divisions

HENSOLDT’s business is divided into two segments: Sensors and Optronics. Sensors comprises three divisions: Radar and Naval Solutions, Spectrum Dominance and Airborne Solutions and Service and Space Solutions. Optronics comprises our Optronics and Land Solutions division. Together they are driving global growth and achieving remarkable successes in their individual sectors.

In recent years HENSOLDT has invested significantly in research and development and continously promotes in-house innovations with its start-up incubator HENSOLDT Ventures. The focus here is primarily on AI-based technologies such as machine learning and big data analysis. On the basis, we are also driving forward in the area of cyber innovation.

  • Radar and Naval Solutions

    HENSOLDT’s Radar and Naval Solutions division is HENSOLDT’s driver for the development of defence and non-defence radar systems which have been part of our company’s core competences for decades. Today, HENSOLDT’s radar systems are used at land, air, sea and space.

    Significant R&D resources ensure the continuous development of our radar solutions and technologies in the various domains to solve the challenges posed to modern radars. The pioneering spirit of our employees has enabled HENSOLDT to create many cutting-edge families of radar products since its inception in the 1950’s.

    The Radar, IFF and Datalink portfolio covers mission-critical premium products in the area of military and security radar for surveillance and reconnaissance, maritime navigation, air traffic control / identification-friend-or-foe (IFF), datalinks, air defence, weapon guidance as well as vessel traffic management services and commercial shipping solutions.

    HENSOLDT is a principal partner in the development of major radar programmes and provides integrated logistics support, maintenance and upgrades. As an innovative technology leader, we drive the development and application of high-end active electronically scanning (AESA) radars.

    Within HENSOLDT, multi-sensor integration and data fusion technology is particularly useful creating added value by combining radars with optronic and other sensors. The Radar division is hereby HENSOLDT’s hub for the development of sensor fusion systems for naval solutions. Using our decades of experience and the wide portfolio of sea-based systems, HENSOLDT is able to deliver cutting-edge sensor solutions which are architected into system-level functions that provide greater functionality than the individual components by themselves.

    Among the most prominent platforms equipped by our products are the Eurofighter Typhoon, the “Freedom” class Littoral Combat Ships of the US Navy and the F125 frigates of the German Navy as well as the Tandem-X satellites. Furthermore, we equip air bases of the German, Swiss, Canadian and Australian armed forces with airport surveillance radars. In addition, our secondary radars are deployed by the naval forces of Germany, France, Norway and Finland for military IFF. For civil and military air traffic control, our identification systems are used, for example, in countries such as USA, UK, Bulgaria and the Philippines.

  • Optronics and Land Solutions

    The Optronics and Land Solutions Division of HENSOLDT offers optronic, optic and precision-engineered products for military, civil and security applications. HENSOLDT’s optronics solutions are deployed on various platforms, including submarines, armoured vehicles, aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles and satellites.

    These products are used globally by armed forces and security personnel for monitoring, identification and classification purposes, as well as for highly precise measurement, evaluation and targeting. Our key competences in optronics lie in day vision, thermal imaging, residual light amplification, laser range finding and stabilisation for use in all light and weather conditions. Robustness, modularity and customisation are key features of our portfolio.

    For the battlefield of the future, the division is HENSOLDT’s hub for the development of Land solutions. Decentralised action chains and highly integrated sensor fusion networks are paving the way for decision-centric combat operations of land forces. By using multi-sensor integration, data fusion technology and artificial intelligence various sensors and platforms are connected. This ensures information superiority and supports users by decentralised artificial intelligence reducing their workload automatically, enabling effective and highly efficient reconnaissance, target acquisition and transfer of target data across the battlefield.

    The roots of our optronics portfolio lie in the long-established German companies Carl Zeiss and Hensoldt. Our military optical and optronic riflescopes, spotting scopes and binoculars derive from the original Hensoldt AG founded in 1896.

    Among the most prominent air platforms equipped with HENSOLDT’s optronics products are the Gripen and Rafale combat aircraft as well as helicopters of various types. We equip the class 212 and 209 submarines with periscopes and optronic mast systems. We furthermore provide mission-critical equipment to the LEOPARD main battle tank and the PUMA infantry fighting vehicle. Our HENSOLDT sights and night vision optics have also been chosen for the German Future Soldier Programme “Infanterist der Zukunft – Erweitertes System”.

  • Spectrum Dominance and Airborne Solutions

    HENSOLDT’s Spectrum Dominance and Airborne Solutions (SDAS) Division provides customers across the world with the capability to detect and protect in contemporary defence and civil operating environments. Whether on land, at sea or in the air our comprehensive range of solutions in Cyber, Signal Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Avionics Systems is empowering our clients to protect civilians, defence forces and national infrastructure.

    The Division is HENSOLDT’s airborne solutions hub for the development of Integrated Airborne Solutions which fuse sensor systems and offer missions suites, integrating products from the cross-divisional HENSOLDT airborne portfolio. In this way, we strive to expand our position as a mission system partner for major European programs such as EU RPAS, FCAS, MAWS or AFCS.

    SDAS is also HENSOLDT’s key innovation hub for sophisticated cyber technologies (data mining, artificial intelligence, autonomy, secure IT) developing comprehensive Cyber solutions which integrate in the entire HENSOLDT portfolio and advance our systems on the cyber frontier.

    In the area of Spectrum Dominance, our sophisticated solutions are modular, scalable and tailored to customer requirements, forming a comprehensive portfolio covering Signal Intelligence, Electronic Support, Electronic Attack, Self-Protection, Cyber Intelligence (OSINT) and Secure IT with the aim to bridge the gap between land, naval and air forces in electronic warfare applications.

    Our Avionics portfolio includes latest generation avionics systems with great performance and precision for sensing, computing, recording, connecting as well as mission support and management.

    We are inspired by technology and strive to provide our clients with solutions to counter evolving threats like hybrid and cyber warfare, the increased use of drones, robots and artificial intelligence.

    Our success is built on the work of our highly skilled employees, who are fascinated by high-end technology and driven by the desire to meet evolving market needs. Our employees translate innovation into smart solutions that support defence and security organisations in their mission to detect and protect.

  • Service and Space Solutions

    HENSOLDT products often have to last multiple decades. Consequently, it must be possible to adapt them to new challenges during this time, which also means that users need ongoing training.

    That is why HENSOLDT divided its Service portfolio into three strategic areas: Aftermarket Product and System Support including Training, Simulation Solutions and Special Services. Based on decades of experience, all three areas – each successful in their own right with their highly qualified employees contribute significantly to HENSOLDT’s business success.

    Aftermarket Product and System Support - From development to decommissioning
    The Aftermarket Product and System Support area forms the core of HENSOLDT’s service offering. With different service agreements and an entire catalogue of customer services, up to and including the full-service offering as for the Eurofighter, we ensure functionality, on which human lives often depend, is maintained throughout each product’s life cycle.

    The comprehensive customer service approach at HENSOLDT is based on the philosophy that our systems are not replaced after a short period of time, as is the case with consumer goods, but can be re-engineered and updated on an ongoing basis thanks to their open design. Not only the hardware, but also the software must often prove its worth and be updatable over decades – even if the original software provider ceases to provide maintenance for the system.

    With service centres around the world, HENSOLDT’s Customer Services team supports several hundred direct customers. Following the acquisition of an Australian service provider in 2019 – which now operates as HENSOLDT Australia and is active in the APAC region – there are hardly any blank spots left on HENSOLDT’s global service map.

    Complementing training courses with their modular concept form an interface between HENSOLDT equipment and the people who operate and maintain it.

    Simulation Solutions - When theory becomes practice
    Simulation Solutions proves that breaking new ground is now practically routine practice for Services. HENSOLDT provides train simulation solutions for train drivers in Germany, Italy and India, for instance. And in the defence area, as well, demand for simulators is rising due to ever more challenging operational requirements in relation to increasingly complex technology. In this context, HENSOLDT is currently developing training simulators for its radars, naturally with Services at the helm.

    Special Services offer tailored solutions for HENSOLDT products and third-party portfolios.

    Space Solutions – the new frontier

    The division is also HENSOLDT’s spear-head for Space solutions. HENSOLDT is a European cutting-edge technology centre with regard to designing, developing, producing and testing space optronics and electronics solutions. HENSOLDT’s customers value its ability to dovetail design and systems engineering with manufacturing, integration, alignment and verification processes.

    Our capabilities in space range from protection in space, planet and space observation to optical communication in space up to supporting space missions.

HENSOLDT at a glance

We strive to become Europe’s leading, platform-independent provider of defence and security sensor solutions with global reach.

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Global Footprint

HENSOLDT has German roots, a large presence in Europe, and a global footprint. We have sales offices in 19 key accessible defence markets globally. Our major production facilities in Germany are in Ulm, Oberkochen, and Pforzheim. We have a production site in Massy, France and Enfield, United Kingdom, as well as another two in Irene and Pretoria, South Africa.

Our Heritage

HENSOLDT was originally built from various former Airbus activities in the areas of defence and security electronics. Those activities are all linked to sensor technologies, mutually augmenting their respective strengths and reaping synergies from operation under one roof, as a provider of platform independent sensor systems.

Our company’s know-how is based on the pioneering spirit of our renowned predecessor companies such as AEG, Aerospatiale-Matra, Carl Zeiss, Cassidian, Daimler, Dornier, EADS, Siemens, and Telefunken, as well as Airbus, driving technology to better detect threats to our societies and to help protect our fellow citizens.

In addition, HENSOLDT acquired the German company Euroavionics and British radar specialist Kelvin Hughes as well as the start-up PentaTec. Moreover, HENSOLDT acquired the  French-based company Nexeya and IE Asia-Pacific. With Tellumat, HENSOLDT's most recent acquisition, we achieve a combination of both strategic goals, focusing on radar technology capabilities specifically in South Africa.

Company Heritage

Our brand journey

We unite known names in defence and security electronics under one roof. HENSOLDT is built from various former Airbus activities. In addition, HENSOLDT acquired the German company Euroavionics and British radar specialist Kelvin Hughes as well as the start-up PentaTec. Moreover, HENSOLDT acquired the French-based company Nexeya, IE Asia-Pacific and Tellumat in South Africa.

The HENSOLDT brand, which has been in use for many years for our telescopic sights and targeting optics portfolio, derives from Moritz Carl HENSOLDT (1821-1903), a German pioneer of optics and precision mechanics, who developed benchmark technology solutions and products in his domain. The spirit of technological progress, of continuous quest for premium solutions reined in by a solid, practical sense of efficiency, made the name “HENSOLDT” a perfect choice to represent our company.

Company Name

Where Tradition and Innovation come together

Our companies name derives from Moritz Carl HENSOLDT (1821-1903), a German pioneer of optics and precision mechanics, who developed benchmark technology solutions and products in his domain. Among other activities, he developed binoculars and telescopic sights revolutionizing surveillance and reconnaissance as well as target acquisition in his time.

It is his relentless pursuit of innovation, his incomparable way of translating scientific findings into useful products that unites perfectly with the achievements of other heroes of technology who together form the heritage of our company.

A History of Firsts

In our company, we bring together the innovative spirit of our predeccessor companies such as AEG, Aerospatiale-Matra, Carl Zeiss, Cassidian, Daimler, Dornier, EADS, Siemens, and Telefunken, as well as Airbus. In our company history of more than 150 years, many inventions took place. We show just an extract of the most prominent ones.

The inventions of the past are the basis of our future.

1892

Riflescope for the Prussian army

Following the exchange of letters between Ernst Abbe and Lieutenant Carl Freiherr Beaulieu-Marconnay, the development of a riflescope for the Prussian army begins.

This marks the first step in over 125 years of experience in the defence and security industry.

1893

Moritz Hensoldt

A prism binocular, a scissors telescope and an optical rangefinder are invented and manufactured.

1897

1st Binoculars with roof prism

Moritz Hensoldt develops the world‘s first binoculars with roof prisms.

1903

1st Periscope

The first periscope for the German submarine “Forelle” is developed and manufactured. It can be moved up and down by the submarine crew and is ground breaking for the German submarine forces.

1904

Christian Hülsmeyer presents to the public the first radar-based system, the "Telemobiloskop" which can detect objects via the Doppler effect.

1914

Handheld stereoscopic

The first handheld stereoscopic is developed.

1935

Antireflection coating

With the invention of antireflection coating by Alexander Smakula, the light transmission in binoculars and riflescopes can be increased to 80 per cent.

1942

Würzburg-Riese

Telefunken develops the first air defence radar.

1944

Thermal imaging

We become the leading pioneer in thermal imagers with long-range heat sensors and tracking devices (WPG DONAU).

1947

Marine radar type 1

Kelvin Hughes develops the first marine radar type 1.

1951

TELEGON I

The TELEGON 1, an innovative direction finder, is developed.

1953

ASR 3

The ASR-3, a first generation ATC radar by AEG Telefunken, is demonstrated to the public at a fair in Berlin.

1969

Stabilized tank persicope

With our ZEISS Optronics predecessor company, we produce the PERI-R 12, the world’s first stabilized panoramic periscope, for the German main battle tank Leopard 1. It includes the stereoscopic rangefinder EMES 12.

1979

TMR MPDR

The "Tiefflieger-Melde-Radar" MPDR is one of the first mobile puls-doppler radars for air surveillance.

1983

EK33 HUMMEL

We equip the electronic attack vehicle EK33 Hummel of the German Bundeswehr with an innovative jammer.

1980

WBG-X thermal imager

Serial production of the WBG-X thermal imager based on the common module principle for armoured vehicles (Leopard 1, Leopard 2, Marder, Luchs) by ZEISS Optronics begins. In addition, the development of an optronic submarine periscope starts.

1986

MILDS

We develop the first generation of the missile warning system MILDS which in newer generations is still in use with armed forces.

1989

TRS-3D/16

We start development of the TRS-3D/16 naval radar, which is still in use with nations today.

1991

APG-65

We equip the F-4 Phantom fighter aircraft with an airborne radar.

1992

Hellas

We start development of Hellas, the first obstacle warning system for Helicopters.

1993

Border Security Systems

Start of the border surveillance business with sensor technology. Since then, more than 900 Systems ranging from a number of vehicle platforms to boats, mast systems, buoys, containers, camp protection and tripods, have been delivered.

1994

EuroNav

The first generation of mission management suits for helicopters is developed by EUROAVIONICS.

1996

OPHELIOS

Construction of the digital IR-camera OPHELIOS starts. Other important projects like the RecceLite, a reconnaissance pod for tactical aircraft and the development of eye-safe laser rangefinders with a very long range are starting in the 1990 following years.

1998

RecceLite

RecceLite, a reconnaissance pod for tactical aircraft, is being developed.

2000

SERO 400 & OMS 100

Development of the submarine periscope SERO 400 with laser rangefinder and optronic mast system OMS 100 start, including a high resolution thermal imager and an HDTV-camera.

2002

METEOSAT - Earth observation

Meteorological satellite METEOSAT uses optics from Oberkochen for earth observation.

2005

ATTICA - 3rd generation thermal imager

Serial production of ATTICA, the third-generation thermal imager, starts. The G-Class is introduced as a system solution with a Multi sensor platform.

2008

Data link in space

We realize the first optical data link (5.5 GBit/s) in space between two LEO satellites.

2012

Targeting optics for GLADIUS

Development and production of a modular targeting system for the enhanced German Future Soldier project “Infanterist der Zukunft – Erweitertes System”.

2013

Laser Altimeter for space (BELA)

First European Laser Altimeter (BELA) qualified for space.

2016

Xpeller Counter UAV System

HENSOLDT introduces Xpeller, its first counter drone system, which reliably detects even extremely small UAVs at a distance of several kilometres.

2018

TwInvis Passive Radar

HENSOLDT presented its passive radar system TwInvis to the public for the first time in live operation during that year’s International Aerospace Exhibition (ILA) in Berlin.

2019

SETAS vision system

HENSOLDT demonstrates the initial fitting and operating activities of its newly developed electro-optical vision system SETAS (See-through Armour System) with the British Army’s Armoured Trials and Development Unit (ATDU) in Bovington.

2020

Detect and Avoid Radar

HENSOLDT and Diehl developed the demonstrator of a sensor system for avoiding collisions between aircraft. Such a sensor system consisting of a radar and a camera can reliably detect objects in the flight path of UAVs. The recognition of such situations is one of the essential requirements for deploying unmanned aerial vehicles in controlled airspace.